The marketing for Godzilla has traded on only showing us bit of pieces of the massive creature, with this new trailer being no exception. However we do get to see him shrouded in fog, as well as some sort of enormous flying beastie.

Of course there are also a few humans who have to deal with the legendary city-crusher, such as Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Ken Watanabe and Bryan Cranston.

Right from the beginning of this trailer it’s clear that one thing no city (or insurance company) wants is a Godzilla, as they are not conducive to peaceful living and not having enormous holes smacked through buildings. It may be 60 years since Godzilla first started causing havoc, but in this new big budget Hollywood flick he’s certainly not lost his destructive powers (and Aaron Johnson has lost his hotness either).

While some are still furious that Hollywood has dared remake Park Chan-Wook’s Oldboy, it actually look pretty intriguing, and Spike Lee is definitely an interesting director to take the project on. We’ve already had a poster and trailer, and now some new images have been released, featuring Elizabeth Olsen and Josh Brolin being all shirtless and locked up.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘OLDBOY is a provocative, visceral thriller that follows the story of an advertising executive (Josh Brolin) who is abruptly kidnapped and held hostage for 20 years in solitary confinement. When he is inexplicably released, he embarks on an obsessive mission to discover who orchestrated his bizarre and torturous punishment only to find he is still trapped in a web of conspiracy and torment. Co-starring Elizabeth Olsen and Sharlto Copley, OLDBOY was directed by Spike Lee, from a script by Mark Protosevich (I Am Legend, The Cell, Thor). The film was produced by Roy Lee, Doug Davison and Nathan Kahane.’

As we were promised, the first trailer for Spike Lee’s version of Oldboy has been released, which partially seems to be about trying to assuage fans of Park Chan-Wook’s original that this will be its own beast, while keeping the best bits of the original. To be honest, I don’t think it’s gonna help, as those who love Wook’s Oldboy, really love it and pretty much see Lee’s film as sacrilege, whatever it turns out to be like.

It does look like it might be okay though.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘OLDBOY is a provocative, visceral thriller that follows the story of an advertising executive (Josh Brolin) who is abruptly kidnapped and held hostage for 20 years in solitary confinement. When he is inexplicably released, he embarks on an obsessive mission to discover who orchestrated his bizarre and torturous punishment only to find he is still trapped in a web of conspiracy and torment. Co-starring Elizabeth Olsen and Sharlto Copley, OLDBOY was directed by Spike Lee, from a script by Mark Protosevich (I Am Legend, The Cell, Thor). The film was produced by Roy Lee, Doug Davison and Nathan Kahane.’

Godzilla may have originally been Japanese, but up until now the cast circling the upcoming big budget reboot of the franchise has been resolutely Western. Now they’ve decided to remedy that, with Warner Bros issuing a press release confirming Ken Watanabe for the movie.

They’ve also announced the start of principal photography in Vancouver, Canada, with Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Juliette Binoche, David Strathairn and Bryan Cranston starring.

There’s still no word on the plot for Max Borenstein, Frank Darabont and Dave Callaham script, although it will inevitably revolve around a giant lizard that comes out of the ocean and starts attacking cities. Director Gareth Edwards has promised a more grounded film that Roland Emmerich’s 1998 take on Godzilla, which sticks closer to its Japanese roots.

While Godzilla has been in the works for a couple of years, it feels as if everything’s been put into a bit of a last minute rush, with Frank Darabont still rewriting the script and only one star attached at the moment – Aaron Johnson – even though production is supposed to start in Canada in March.

Now a couple more potential cast members are circling the project, with Variety reporting that Bryan Cranston and Elizabeth Olsen are in early talks to star in the movie. However, it’s unlikely that any deals will be finalised until the completed screenplay has been turned in – which certainly does leave everything until the last minute.

No character details or plot information has been released, so we don’t know who Cranston, Olsen, or indeed Aaron Johnson will be playing, although earlier info has said this plans to be a more ‘realistic’ take on the Godzilla idea. Gareth Edwards is directing, with a May 16th, 2014 release already set.

This morning the nominees for the EE Rising Star Award were announced, which is the only gong given out at the BAFTA Film Awards that is voted for by the public. The nominees however were picked by a jury which included the likes of Tom Hiddleston and Mark Kermode. Previous winners (when it was the Orand Rising Star Award) include James McAvoy, Eva Green, Shia LaBeouf, Noel Clarke, Kristen Stewart, Tom Hardy and Adam Deacon.

So who’s up for this year’s award? Well take a look at the info below and then head to ee.co.uk/bafta to vote! The winner will be announced at EE British Academy Film Awards on Sunday 10th February 2013.

ELIZABETH OLSEN: At 17, Elizabeth moved to New York to study acting at the Tisch School of the Arts. After graduating she took Sundance by storm in 2011 when she appeared in not one but two of the most highly praised films in the festival: Martha Marcy May Marlene and Silent House. Most recently Elizabeth has completed production on the Spike Lee directed remake of Oldboy, opposite Samuel L. Jackson and Josh Brolin.

Commenting on her nomination, Elizabeth said “Being considered for this award is a huge honour. So many actors whom I admire have been recognized in this category and I’m very thankful to BAFTA and the jury for selecting me.”

ANDREA RISEBOROUGH: Andrea graduated from RADA in 2005 and quickly began to accumulate critical acclaim and awards for her stage and screen work. She made her film debut in Roger Michell’s Venus. Roles in Never Let Me Go, Brighton Rock and Mike Leigh’s comedy-drama Happy Go Lucky soon followed. Andrea has also starred as both a young Margaret Thatcher in Margaret Thatcher –The Long Walk to Finchley and Wallis Simpson in W.E. She recently finished filming opposite Tom Cruise in Oblivion, which will be released in April.

Andrea said: “To even be counted amongst this, and the last seven years’ rising star nominees feels utterly phenomenal! BAFTA nurtures new talent throughout the international film community so I am so very grateful to be given this fantastic opportunity, and look forward to us celebrating the kind recognition together.”

SURAJ SHARMA: Until recently 19 year old Suraj was living a quiet, middle class life with his parents in the suburbs of South Delhi. But, after an extensive search throughout India, Suraj was picked from 3,000 hopefuls to star in director Ang Lee’s 3D epic, Life of Pi. Before taking on the role, Suraj had no previous acting experience. The director had complete faith in his young lead, describing Suraj as a “gift from god” and a “great actor in a past life”.

JUNO TEMPLE: In just a few years, Juno Temple has firmly established herself as one of the most versatile and talented young actresses in Hollywood. Her breakthrough arrived when she won the role of Cate Blanchett’s rebellious, brooding daughter in Notes on a Scandal. This led to her appearance in the BAFTA- and Oscar-winning Atonement, opposite Keira Knightley, James McAvoy and Saoirse Ronan. Since then a variety of well received film roles have followed, most recently opposite Matthew McConaughey and Emile Hirsch in the darkly comic Killer Joe.

Juno commented: “I’m extremely honoured to be nominated by BAFTA for this award and the fact the winner is voted for by the public makes it all the more exciting.”

ALICIA VIKANDER: Swedish born Alicia trained with The Royal Swedish Ballet for nine years before dedicating herself to acting. After appearing in several shorts and Swedish TV shows, she made her big-screen debut in Lisa Langseth’s Pure. 2012 saw Alicia burst onto the international scene with two major roles: Anna Karenina opposite Keira Knightley and Jude Law and the period drama A Royal Affair with Mads Mikkelsen. Recently Alicia has starred in the Warner Bros. feature The Seventh Son.

Alicia said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be nominated for this year’s EE Rising Star Award and would like to thank the jury for short-listing me. 2012 was an amazing year for me and I want to thank everyone who has supported me in my career to date.”

Sarah (Elizabeth Olsen), along with her father and uncle, head for an old, crumbling lakehouse retreat, to pack things up and get ready to sell it. Not long after arriving, Sarah gets a visit from a young woman claiming to be an old friend, although Sarah can’t remember her. Soon Sarah finds herself trapped in the house and someone or something seems to be in there with her, trying to get her.

The setup for the plot of fairly simple and generic, but that’s probably as it should be, because with the movie’s formal conceit, it might have become unmanageable if it got too complex on the story front to quickly. The main interest in the film is that it’s shot to look like it was made in one single take (although it’s actually several long takes stitched together), following Sarah as she becomes trapped in the house and things become ever stranger and more disturbing. [Read more…]

Newly single and uninspired by his job in college admissions, the introverted Jesse Fisher (Josh Radnor) lives with his head buried in a book. His deep nostalgia for his own alma mater in Ohio – the dining halls and dorm rooms, the parties and poetry seminars – makes him wonder if his best days are behind him. So when his favorite professor (Richard Jenkins) invites him back to campus to speak at his retirement dinner, Jesse jumps at the chance. Meeting Zibby (Elizabeth Olsen) — a precocious classical music-loving sophomore — awakens in Jesse long-dormant feelings of possibility and connection.

Martha Marcy May Marlene star Elizabeth Olsen has been offered the female lead role in Spike Lee’s planned remake of Oldboy remake, according to Twitch. It isn’t known yet if the young actress will accept the part or not.

She’s not the first to have been eyed for the role, as previously Rooney Mara was a top contender for the part, although she eventually passed on the project, as did Mia Wasikowska. Josh Brolin is set to star in the remake, but as with its female lead, the production has had difficulty securing an actor to portray the villain. Actors such as Christian Bale, Colin Firth, and Clive Owen have all turned down the role.

It’s not certain when Oldboy might start shooting, especially as it’s having such a tough time getting a cast together.